Certain species have exceptionally long juvenile periods relative to their lifespan
Certain species, such as primates including humans and capuchin monkeys, exhibit unusually long juvenile periods and slow developmental pacing that correlate with extended overall lifespans.
The retrieved literature consistently supports the premise that life-history trade-offs link slow development and extended juvenile periods with longevity across various taxa, particularly in primates and long-lived mammals.
Orkin JD, Montague MJ, Tejada-Martinez D, de Manuel M, Del Campo J, Cheves Hernandez S, Di Fiore A, Fontsere C, Hodgson JA, Janiak MC, Kuderna LFK, Lizano E, Martin MP, Niimura Y, Perry GH, Valverde CS, Tang J, Warren WC, de Magalhães JP, Kawamura S, Marquès-Bonet T, Krawetz R, Melin AD. The genomics of ecological flexibility, large brains, and long lives in capuchin monkeys revealed with fecalFACS.. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2010632118
Capuchins exhibit exceptionally long lifespans exceeding 50 years despite small body size, associated with slow life-history traits.
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Yuan R, Hascup E, Hascup K, Bartke A. Relationships among Development, Growth, Body Size, Reproduction, Aging, and Longevity - Trade-Offs and Pace-Of-Life.. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1134/s0006297923110020
Across species, slow development and late sexual maturation are broadly linked to long lifespans as part of a slow pace-of-life.
Eadie EC. Ontogeny of Foraging Competence in Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus capucinus) for Easy versus Difficult to Acquire Fruits: A Test of the Needing to Learn Hypothesis.. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0138001
Capuchin monkeys are well-documented examples of species with notably long juvenile periods driven by the time required to learn difficult foraging skills.
Hawkes K. Revisiting "Grandmothers and the Evolution of Human Longevity" 2003 AJHB https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.10156.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70045
Humans and related primates feature distinctively slow development and long juvenile periods coupled with extended overall lifespans.
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